India Launches 6G Testbed

India unveils nationwide testbed for 6G development
On March 22, 2025, Prime Minister Modi officially launched India’s Bharat 6G mission, unveiling both a vision document and a national research and development testbed along with the first ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre in New Delhi.
Strategic Context
Bharat 6G aligns with India's ambition to lead global telecom. Within just 120 days of 5G’s 2022 launch, services were deployed in 350 districts fueling confidence to move directly toward 6G, envisioned for roll out by 2025 27.
Testbed & Ecosystem
The testbed is a consortium initiative between DoT, IIT Madras, Guwahati, Patna, SAMEER, and industry stakeholders. TTDF has allocated ₹240 crore to two key THz and optical communication projects.
Vision Themes
Network speeds up to 1 Tbps; 100× faster than 5G.


Bimodal satellite terrestrial integration, enhanced drone connectivity, and holographic capabilities.


Affordable, secure, and ubiquitous deployment, aligned with India’s Digital India and Atmanirbhar goals.


Industry Support
The ITU Centre of Excellence will coordinate frequency allocation and global policy engagement. India already holds leadership roles in ITU’s regulatory bodies .
Challenges & Next Steps
India must close the gap between lab development and field deployment by building local component supply chains. Spectrum policies, standardization, and partnerships with MSMEs and startups will be key enablers .
Outlook
Bharat 6G places India squarely in the race for next gen communications reinforcing its position as a global innovator and connectivity leader poised for the next decade.